1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an expanded beam multi-fiber connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
An MTP/MPO (multi-fiber termination push-on/Multi-fiber Push On) or MT-RJ connector is known in the background art, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,880,980, which is incorporated herein by reference. Such connectors present one or more arrays of polished fiber ends at a front face of the MTP/MPO or MT-RJ connector, as shown in the figures of U.S. Pat. No. 6,880,980.
Applicants' prior U.S. Pat. No. 8,393,804, which is incorporated herein by reference, demonstrated an advantage over the array type connectors having polished fiber ends. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, a multi-fiber connector 81 may include pins 83 or alignment holes 85 to assist in mating the multi-fiber connector 81 into an adapter or port. A lens 91, such as spherical lenses 91-1 through 91-8 formed of sapphire, is affixed at the end of each V-groove 87 (such as V-grooves 87-1 through 87-8) for each fiber 89 (such as fibers 89-1 through 89-8) of the multi-fiber connector 81. Hence, the connector 81 is converted into an expanded beam connector, which has several advantages, as described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 8,393,804.
US Published Patent Application 2009/0154884, which is herein incorporated by reference, shows a modified expanded beam MT ferrule. In the design of US Published Patent Application 2009/0154884, as depicted in FIGS. 15-17, a frame 102 has a front or mating face 103. Guide pin holes 104 are formed in the front face 103. V-grooves 109 holding optical fibers 134 are located at a rear portion of the frame 102. The frame 102 has lenses 106 at the ends of the V-grooves 109. The lenses 106 are integrally molded with the frame 102 out of a common material, like a polycarbonate or Ultem (See paragraph 0015, lines 6-8 of US Published Patent Application 2009/0154884).
Therefore, US Published Patent Application 2009/0154884 offers an advantage over U.S. Pat. No. 8,393,804 in that the lenses 106 are not separate elements which must be assembled/adhered to the V-grooves 109, but are rather integrally molded features of the frame 102 adjacent to the V-grooves 109. Because the lenses 106 are integrally molded, the frame 102 requires “precision machining and tooling” (See paragraph 0016, lines 13-14 of US Published Patent Application 2009/0154884). The other portions of the connector do not require precision machining or tooling, like the housing 112 and boot 124. The housing 112 can be formed of glass filled thermo plastics, such as liquid crystal polymer. The boot 124 may be formed of thermo plastic rubber, such as a polypropylene vulcanization elastomer.
Additional related art may be found in the following documents, each of which is herein incorporated by reference: 2001/0055446; 2002/0118925; 2004/0017984; 2006/0245694; 2009/0324175; 2010/0329612; 2012/0014645; 2012/0020618; 2012/0155807; 2013/0251315 and WO 2012/106510.